


Fullmetal Alchemist: Dog of the Military

by RoyEdIsMyAesthetic



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist - All Media Types
Genre: Accident, Alchemy, Blood, Bullet wound, Dogs, Hurt, Hurt Edward, Hurt/Comfort, Military, Platonic Kissing, Strong Language, True Love's Kiss, bullet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-22
Updated: 2016-08-21
Packaged: 2018-08-10 07:35:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,627
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7835860
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RoyEdIsMyAesthetic/pseuds/RoyEdIsMyAesthetic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Edward Elric finds a dog at military headquarters, and little does he know it, it may be the beginnings of love.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Bad Dog

The words that Edward Elric spoke upon entering Roy Mustang's empty office were blunt, profane, and maybe a bit exaggerated. But overall, they went straight to the point like a bullet to a target, directly addressing the proverbial 'elephant in the room'.

"What the actual fuck."

Looking at not who, but what, sat behind Colonel Roy Mustang's desk, the suit of armor standing beside Edward shifted nervously.

"I believe it's a dog, brother," Alphonse Elric stated, looking at the midnight black Labrador retriever that sat in the seat usually occupied by Colonel Roy Mustang.

The creature was trying to bite a pen which rolled around on top of the desk. It was as if the dog expected to be able to pick it up and write something down on one of the countless paper spread atop the desk's surface.

"Yeah, I can tell that it's a dog; I'm not blind, Al," Ed said, quickly waving a gloved hand in front of his face, "I'm just wondering what the hell it's doing here!"

"Sitting in a chair?" Alphonse questioned.

"Sitting in Mustang's office! I fucking hate dogs..." Ed grumbled. "They have no concept of personal space- they just go around sniffing each other's privates..."

"I like Den, but I'm afraid I have to agree with you brother. I'm a cat person, and I always will be. But I thought that the reason why you don't like dogs is because they're always jumping on top of you and knocking you down because you're so sh-"

"Don't you dare. If you finish that sentence, I swear, I'm gonna take a rag and a bottle of Windex and I'm gonna wipe off your blood seal..."

"...because you're so likable and you have a colorful personality!" Alphonse finished, laughing nervously.

"Better remember it!" Edward snapped.

"Maybe Miss Hawkeye got a new dog to keep Black Hayate company..." Alphonse wondered aloud.

With a scowl on his face, Edward approached the beast as it let out a sharp bark. Mustang's chair wobbled slightly beneath it, threatening to tip over.

"Down!" Ed commanded, stomping down a foot and pointing to the ground. "Down boy!"

The dog sat unusually still and blinked, giving Edward a look that said, "Who exactly do you think you are and what makes you think that you're the higher life form in this room?"

"Sit!" Ed said firmly. "Sit on the filthy ground like you were destined to at birth!"

"Maybe if you give it a treat, it'll get off of the chair," Alphonse offered.

"Maybe if I kick the chair out from underneath it, it'll get off of the chair!"

"Brother, that would be mean! Even for you..." he added.

Ed let out a tired sigh and crossed his arms in front of his chest. "Then our only option is to call animal control. Don't know the number though."

In that moment, the dog leapt off of the chair, knocking it over in the process. Ed looked down at questioningly as it walked in a circle around his feet. It then stopped in front of him, lifted one leg, and a wet tinkling sound was heard as it started to pee on Edward's boots. The boy leapt away with surprise that quickly shifted into anger.

"HEY!" Ed cried sharply, standing on one leg and shaking off his wet boot, letting droplets of urine patter upon the floor. "BAD DOG! See that, Al?! This dog is a menace and it outta be put down!"

"No way! That would be horrible!" Alphonse cried.

The dog went up to Alphonse and whined as he nudged his armor leg with his wet nose. The small action managed to strike a chord with the fifteen year old in the suit of armor.

Alphonse tilted his armor helmet to the side. "I'm sure he's a good dog- he just doesn't like you very much..."

"Then that makes the feeling mutual..." Ed grumbled.

"... we can't like everybody we meet. You just have to tolerate them. Like how you tolerate the Colonel. You tolerate people, and sooner or later you'll find some sort of middle ground where you can relate and... and you might actually sort of like 'em or appreciate them in an odd sorta way."

Alphonse bend down and scratched the dog behind the ears. The dog wagged its tail and its long pink tongue rolled out of its mouth. Alphonse chuckled slightly.

"Does it have a name?" he asked. "He doesn't have any dog tags... If he doesn't have a name or an owner, how about we name him Maxwell! I like that name. I think he likes that name too! Aw, just look at him! He's kinda cute! He apparently likes to have his belly rubbed."

"No, we're not naming it because we're not getting attached to it! We'll refer to it as Dog. Or Asshole. Or Mr. Asshole if you want to be polite or some shit."

It was then that Private David Welland, a young up-and-coming family man with a head of fiery red hair, stuck his head through the open doorway and smiled warmly. Alphonse stood up straight and the door rolled over onto its feet, barking twice before sitting down and wagging its tail.

"I didn't know it was bring your dog to work day!" Welland said cheerily, giving Edward a rather sloppy salute as he stepped into the empty office. "Otherwise I woulda brought my husky!"

The man paused and narrowed his dark, forest green eyes. "Where's Colonel Mustang? Did he step out or something?"

The dog barked again and Welland flinched slightly at the noise.

"Hell if we know," Edward said with a slight shake of the head. "He could be dead, passed out drunk in a ditch somewhere, or taking a piss."

Alphonse nudged his elder brother in the side with his armor elbow. If Welland noticed the action, he ignored it and turned to Edward.

"Okay, well you know the amateur alchemist Samuel Bensen?" he questioned him.

"The wacko who's suspected of using human beings as lab rats? Yeah, I know 'im, but not personally of course. You brought him in yet?"

"No, not yet, but he was spotted at the east side of the city about a half hour ago. We have five square blocks taped off from the general public and we're trying to corner him. We're looking for backup."

One corner of Edward's lips turned upward into a crooked smile. "Well ya bought me! I've haven't seen some action in a while- I was starting to get a bit twitchy. Al and I will be there as soon as possible, right Al?"

"Right!"

Welland turned around and waved a hand, motioning for them to follow. "No need to wait- I'll drive you two there."

"Even better!" Edward said, jogging after him, "Let's get a move on then."

They went out the door one by one. First Welland, then Ed, then Alphonse, and then the dog who trotted happily after them as they went down a flight of stairs and then outside onto the street. Welland approached a parked military-issued vehicle that was neatly placed into a parking space. The older redhead opened the front passenger side door so one of the kids could climb in.

"I call shotgun!" Ed shouted, racing to the door.

He should have moved a bit faster, because just as he said those words, the black lab raced by his feet in a blur of fur and tongue and slobber and hopped up into the seat that was intended for Edward.

"I think that Maxwell has shotgun covered!" Alphonse laughed, opening the door for the backseat.

"Get out, Asshole! This car is for humans only!" Ed shouted, looking at the dog and stomping a foot down.

"Why are you calling your dog an asshole?!" Welland questioned, sitting behind the wheel.

"Because that's its name!" Ed retorted.

Welland only chuckled at his expense, and Edward shot him a scowl as he got into the backseat with Alphonse, cussing the dog out under his breath. As the car began to move, the dog turned his head and looked back at him with tongue wagging, almost as if to mock him.

More and more cop cars could be seen as they sped toward the place where the perp had been spotted and there were fewer and fewer people on the streets. According to Welland, the guy was armed, and so were his four or five associates. Despite the lighthearted tone that Welland had used with Ed and Al, the situation was serious. Ten people had been taken off of the streets in the past week and a half alone, and two of those people were alchemists. Lesson learned was that if an alchemist could be snatched up by the guy and his goons and have heaven knows what done to them... nobody was safe.

Welland parked the car and everyone who was inside, including the dog of course, stepped out and received orders from a higher up.

Edward wasn't really paying attention to the spiel though. It was nowhere near nightfall yet there was just something... eerie and discomforting hanging in the air. 

The area that was usually a major shopping hub was like a ghost town. People who lived in apartments above shops had their doors locked and blinds closed. The only signs of life were the occasional movement of curtains as curious residents took a peek at the military activity outside.

Edward and Alphonse were split up so they could cover more ground. They were uncomfortable with this, but they hesitantly agreed that it was for the best. Alphonse would have been worried about his elder brother's safety, but for some reason, he found comfort in the fact that Maxwell had decided to come along with him.

Edward was now standing in a dark alleyway. The dog looked at Ed as he clapped his hands together and tendrils of electric blue light snapped and popped and fizzed as he transmuted his automail arm into a blade.

Edward and Maxwell exited the alleyway and stepped out into the daylight. Both individuals paused as they saw movement from across the abandoned street. A dark figure ducked through an unsuspecting heavy metal door that was placed at the side of a brick building.

Ed grinned slightly upon eyeing his target.

"And bingo was his name-o!" he sang softly to himself.

He looked down at the dog who was sitting beside him and explained the situation to him.

"Okay, Asshole, so you see, I usually go in with guns blazing. This one is called Jacob," he stated, flexing his automail arm before flexing the flesh one. "And this one..."

He paused.

For effect.

"Well it's a little something I like to call The Destroyer of Worlds!" he said with a wide smile.

If dogs can roll their eyes, this one sure did.

"Hey! Don't judge! Anyway, point is that we need to hang these guns up for now because we need to be super quiet. Got that? We need the element of surprise."

The dog stopped wagging its tail and rolled its tongue back into its mouth, halting its panting.

"Yeah, you've got the picture. Come on. Let's head out, soldier."

With that, teen and dog ran across the street, looking this way and that before they carefully slipped in through the door that they had seen the suspicious figure disappear through.

They found themselves in the dark and shadowy kitchen of a restaurant- a restaurant with a pleasant front and sitting area, but a disorganized and smelly back. The dog's nails patted against the cold tile floor as he and Edward crept along, looking around tall stacks of dirty pots and dishes and through racks from which ladles, spatulas, and other cooking utensils hung like strange icicles hanging down from the roof of a house in winter.

The air was silent. And both Edward and the dog felt as if they needed to hold their breath so that they wouldn't disturb the air around them.

Ed paused.

And the world leapt into action as someone came out at Edward from behind, trying to strike him in the neck with a crowbar. Ed whipped around just in time to stop it with his automail arm and then he brought the blade attached to it forward, pushing the man in black backward and causing his back to collide with the large metal sink against the wall. The man was about to come after Edward again, but then a certain black lab bit down hard on his pant leg and dragged him down to the floor with a ferocious growl as Edward raced after a woman who seemed to appear from nowhere and fled down the hall.

Maxwell let out a sharp, pained yelp as the man's boot connected his his snout.

There was a crash heard from around the corner where Edward fought with the other one of the rogue alchemist's henchmen. Maxwell circled around the man in the kitchen with teeth bared and lips drawn back in an almost feral matter. There was another crash heard from the hall.

And then there was something different.

The dog paused.

Two loud pops were heard. Each was loud enough to shatter eardrums and rip the air in two. While Maxwell was distracted, Edward's first attacker ran for the door. Following after came the second- the woman who now had a horrible cut across her forehead, but was otherwise unscathed.

The two ran out the door. Meanwhile, the dog ran to dimly lit hall.

Edward stood still in the middle of the carpeted floor, but there was a glazed over look in his golden eyes, as if someone had reached their horrible fingers in and drawn the light straight out of them. The boy's lips were slightly parted with surprise, and he let out a shaky, shallow breath as a trembling hand reached for a spot on his lower abdomen.

The dog let out a low whine as pale fingers came back from the billet wound slick and red with blood.

Edward looked up again, opening and closing his mouth. But no words managed to come out before his legs finally gave way beneath him.


	2. Good Dog, I Suppose

The sound of Edward's knees hitting the floor was painful to hear. Following that was a thud as his body collapsed onto its side.

He lay still.

Maxwell hurriedly scampered to Edward's side and sniffed the fabric at his back, almost as if he were trying to see if the bullet had gone out the other side. The dog then stepped over Edward's tangled legs and nudged him in the side with his nose, letting out a long, pleading whine as he tried to coax Edward onto his back.

The young blond complied, his throat clenching and his face twisting with agony as he let out a soundless cry. After that, he let out a series of labored breaths, trying to calm himself as much as he could. The dog used its tongue to lick tears away from the side of Edward's face before it nudged Edward's side with his nose.

With a glassy look in his eyes, Edward turned his head to face the dog. The action took way more effort than it should have.

Forcing a weak and apologetic smile on his trembling lips, Edward shook his head slightly. "I... I d-don't think I c-can... stand up..." he told the dog. "B-but thanks for trying to-"

Edward paused and coughed harshly, the cough wet and sputtering. Trails of blood ran past his colorless lips and down his chin. He winced slightly and let out a quiet moan before continuing to speak.

"I'm... I'm so tired all... all of a sudden..." he admitted quietly with half lidded eyes.

The dog barked loudly in response. Edward weakly lifted a bloody hand and rested it upon the top of the dog's head. He found the action to be oddly comforting to him.

"I know..." he whispered with a nod. "I know I... I... I need to st-stay awake..."

The dog barked in agreement before it quickly pulled its head away, letting Edward's hand fall gently to his bloody side. Maxwell ran down the hall and disappeared into the kitchen. Just as Edward was beginning to wonder if the dog had abandoned him, the furry creature returned with a handful of dishtowels in hand. The dog gently placed the mouthful of fabric onto Edward's bullet wound.

When Edward made no move to press the wad of fabric down to stop the flow of blood, Maxwell draped his front legs over Edward's body and rested his head on top of the bloody spot. He let out another whine of concern as Edward gasped sharply, his back rising slightly up off of the floor beneath him.

The dog cried again, but made no move to get off of the towels which were quickly becoming saturated with blood.

Ed replaced a hand atop the dog's head, scratching him slightly behind the ears to keep himself awake.

"It's alright, Maxwell... it's... it's alright."

Edward blinked his eyes slowly and sleepy smile spread across his face.

"Good d-d-dog," he stammered. "V-very good dog..."

Edward's breathing slowed.

His eyes slowly closed, and the sound of the dog's barking jerked him awake once more.

But once again, he found himself slipping into unconsciousness, finally embracing the darkness that came hand in hand with it. In that darkness, he heard Maxwell barking over and over, the sound echoing and growing softer and softer as he slipped farther and farther away. He didn't know how much time passed before he heard the shout of concerned and familiar voices, the angry and panicked wail of ambulance sirens, and finally the steady beeping of a heart rate monitor.

Edward's eyes fluttered open, only to close a fraction of a second later as they were stung by the light that flooded into them. Edward placed a hand over his eyes and blinked his eyes open, steadily adjusting to the fluorescent light of the hospital room. A pain shot down the front of his body as he slowly sat himself up against the pillows.

"You're going to pull out your stitches if you do that, Edward," Riza calmly warned him. "Oh and Alphonse is fine- he's busy helping with the investigation. I figured you'd ask about him."

Edward turned his head and looked at the woman in the wooden chair at the corner of the room. Riza Hawkeye sat with her legs crossed one over the other and a cup of steaming tea in her hand.

Edward winced as he sat himself up a bit more.

"So what happened with the... the... you know, the alchemist guy?" he asked tiredly, "Sorry, my head's a bit... fuzzy right now..."

"Don't worry about it. We were able to bring in Bensen and his associates with little or no trouble. We also found the people abducted by the group, but half of them were... well let's just say that they weren't themselves. There were a good amount of animals in Bensen's laboratory."

"Bensen was making chimeras?" Edward questioned, narrowing his golden eyes with confusion.

"No, not exactly," Hawkeye replied. "People just take on the appearance of an animal, and according to the research your brother is doing at the moment, it might be actually be very easy to get them up and walking on two feet. Problem is, we don't exactly know how."

It was in that moment that Maxwell trotted in through the open doorway and leapt up onto Edward's hospital bed, making the mattress bounce slightly up and down. Panting and wagging its tail, it climbed all over Edward's legs.

It was Hawkeye's turn to be confused.

"I didn't know that you had a dog..."

"I don't," Ed said, reaching up and playfully scratching the back of Maxwell's neck. "But this mutt here saved my life. Isn't that right, Maxy?" he cooed with a bright smile.

Edward's smile softened as he scratched under the dog's chin and the dog's tail swished back and forth at an accelerated rate. Ed moved on to petting the dog's head, feeling the dog's silky black coat beneath his skin and enjoying its warmth.

"You know, all of this could've gone bad," Ed stated quietly to the dog as it turned its head slightly.

Ed closed his mouth for a moment and shrugged his shoulders.

"I could have been in a coffin right now," he continued. "So thank you. Thank you so very much."

With that, Edward closed his eyes and placed a kiss on the tip of the dog's wet, black nose. To both Edward and Riza's astonishment, a bright light then flashed from where the dog stood. Fiery red alchemic energy snapped and sparked and whipped around the dog, shortening its snout, shrinking its tail, pulling back its ears, and turning a shiny black fur into a head of soft black hair and a royal blue military uniform.

Roy Mustang was now straddling Edward Elric and looking back at the shocked teenager with a surprised expression on his face. Surprise melted away from Mustang's face, only to be replaced by a small smirk.

"I think we just found the solution for our animal problem, Lieutenant!" Mustang chuckled, still staring into Edward's eyes. "True love's first kiss really does break the spell, doesn't it?!"

Edward's face turned redder than a cherry tomato.

The words that Edward Elric spoke upon seeing the dog transform into Roy Mustang were blunt, profane, and maybe a bit exaggerated. But overall, they went straight to the point like a bullet to a target, directly addressing the proverbial 'elephant in the room'.

"WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK?!"

 

The end.


End file.
